Last issue we welcomed Holly back into the fold. This issue, I am delighted to announce that our old friend Suzanne has also returned! Her dry wit is already at work in her opening collection of cards. As I write this, Suzanne is jetting back from a vacation in Africa - no doubt we will be soon be hearing adventures from the dark continent.

Suzanne's return brings us up to a full compliment: five men and five women. It says a lot about the long term value and essential health of Archipelago. I hope the ten of us can stay together for a long time.

Issue 28 spans dramatic change in the lives of several of us. Janine lost her father a few weeks ago; he was a remarkable man whose legacy must now live on through his three remarkable children (see VC 28 John 14.) Larry and Diane are now well along in the process of providing a new brother for Kristin; his name will probably be Curtis (see VC 28 Larry 4).

Yumi has broken off her engagement to Steve and has moved into a new apartment; I spoke to her last night and she is full of new plans. Drury, meanwhile, is hunkering down in preperation for her Avian exam, so for now we must tip toe around her. I predict that her cage will soon be opened and she will soar to new heights.

Issue 28 marks the triumphant conclusion of Stuart's epic Bestiary poems (see VC 28 Stuart 4). These poems have been a regular feature of Archipelago for so long now that it's hard to imagine a volume without at least one Monkey Boy soliloquy or Duchess of Moisture sonnet. I can now begin the process of consolidating this work into a single stack, the long-promised virtual zoo. Stuart has certainly earned a rest, but I hope that he will find some new poems to share in the years ahead. I still feel that Archipelago will someday be remembered as the first journal to publish the Bestiary - and we will boast to our grandchildren that we were among the first to read it.

Issue 28 contains another literary triumph of sorts. Paul has written a new installment in our serial bird woman saga, and it's nothing less than brilliant (see VC 28 Paul 7). He did not pin a tail on the next balladeer, but I hope at least one of you will have the gumption to take up his challenge.

After member-wide procrastination that went above and beyond the call, Issue 28 was further delayed by two things: the tumultuous retooling at command central and this month's ambitious Mr. Wizard project. The name of the game this time is Solitaire. We've been talking about it for eons, and now it's time to act! Mr. Wizard has written a fully-functional solitaire game in HyperCard which we can use as a basis for research. As you play, statistics will be automatically recorded and transmitted with your next packet: a tour de force of Archipelago technology! I hope everyone, ESPECIALLY YOU DRURY, will play at least a hundred games.

We have two simple gifts under the tree, both colorful. The first is a color picture of an illustraton for Stuart's recently published Alphabet Poems (another Archipelago first scoop) - see VC 28 John 3. Our second gift is some color artwork of my own: an icon for all of our Archipelago folders. Even those without color should be able to make out the design; you must have system 7 to install it.

All of this and our usual lively discussion on topics ranging from education to tax reform to Barney the dinosaur. In my final card I present a chart of our ever-lengthening turnaround time and float a trial balloon: should we declare Archipelago to be a quarterly journal with fixed publication dates? Please respond with your ideas.

And now.... On with the show!